The Next Lizzie
by Williejumps2013
Summary: ESTABLISHED DIZZE! Lizzie has a corner office at Pemberley, and a grad student to look after. What happens when that grad student needs an interview to complete her degree? LBD


DISCLAIMER!  
I just thought it would be nice to see a prankster side to the Dizzie relationship.

Before you begin: This is told from the point of view of a completely new person, not Lizzie, or Darcy, or anyone else.

* * *

Mrs. Bennet was sitting in her corner office. She had been working on the new video for the website when she knocked on the door frame.

"Come in!" She looked up briefly. "Yes, Melanie?"

"Sorry to interrupt, but I was wondering if I could interview you for my thesis." Her head snapped up.

"What?" Melanie was startled at how surprised her boss looked.

"Well, since I'm the new resident grad student, and I need to interview a position of power from the company."

"I know that, but why don't you interview the CEO? I'm sure he would be happy to do it." Mrs. Bennet smiled. Melanie had heard that Mr. Darcy had always done the grad student interviews. She was, however, too terrified to ask him.

"I'm sure Mr. Darcy has better things to do with his time."

"Nonsense! Domino, call William Darcy. Don't worry." Her boss reassured her.

A man's voice came out of her computer. "Yes?"

"I was wondering if you had time for a grad student interview right now." She smiled at the screen.

"Of course. You know I always make time for our grad students. Where should I meet them?"

"How about here in my office?"

"On my way." Her eyes left the screen.

"See? I told you it would be fine."

Some time passed and Melanie noticed that Mrs. Bennet's personality had changed. Ever since that call the Mr. Darcy, she had seemed almost giddy. "How long have you known Mr. Darcy?" She was suspicious and eyed Mrs. Bennet, trying to figure out what she wasn't telling her.

"I have known Mr. Darcy for many years. We are close friends."

"Longer than your work here at Pemberley?"

"I don't see how that concerns you." She paused. "William Darcy, either come into my office or stand outside, don't linger in the door. You know I hate it." She spun around and saw Mr. William Darcy for the first time, who started to walk into her office. He was tall, and handsome, and looked like a geek in a bow-tie and suspenders. He looked kind enough, but she was still terrified.

"Maybe thats why I do it." He smiled in a suspiciously flirtatious way. "Hello, I'm William Darcy. CEO. You are?" He held out his hand.

"Melanie Grant. Grad student majoring in marketing." She shook it confidently. This will go well...

"Pleasure. Now, what would you like to ask."

A knock on the door frame interrupted her. "Yo, Lizzie B. you got it for me?" A man sauntered in.

"Here you go. One birthday card for your special someone." She reached into her desk and pulled out a card. "Melanie Grant, Fitz Williams." She stood up and shook his hand. "Close the door on your way out, would you Fitz?" Melanie had discovered that it was Mrs. Bennet that had established Pemberley's 'open door policy'. An open door meant 'come in', a closed door meant 'stay the heck out of my office'. And everyone followed it.

"Thanks." He took it said a quick hello/goodbye to Will as he was leaving and shut the door.

"Firstly, could you tell me a little about the history of Pemberley Digital?" She pulled out a recorder and switched it on. Will nodded and began, what she assumed, was his rehearsed history lesson for grad students. She followed with the standard 'who, what, when, where, why, how'. Then Melanie asked a question that she was certain no one would have expected, something they would remember her by. "And finally, you don't have a policy of keeping work and pleasure separate, like most companies do."

Her two employers snuck a glance at each other._ BINGO!_ "I didn't hear a question in there." Mr. Darcy answered calmly.

"Well the question is, could you explain why not?

"Well, if you forbid someone to do something, they're more likely to want it. If you look at the relationships here at Pemberley, you will notice that the personal and the business is kept separate. You can never tell who is dating who, unless they tell you."

"So are you dating an employee of yours?" She sounded like she hoped he was single._ Why? Why did I just ask that?_

"I have been a married man for five years, Miss Grant, with a four year old child." He used his infamous 'done voice'. People had told her about it, but she never expected ot to be so effective. It was the voice that you knew that you didn't have a say, thte discussion was over, and you were never to bring it up again. Just then the door flew open and she saw a little girl run into the office.

"Mommy!"

"Anne!" Mrs. Bennet stood up and caught the little girl in her arms. "What have I told you about closed doors?"

"Sorry, Mommy." The little girl kissed Mrs. Bennet on the cheek.

"Its fine. Did you have a nice time with Aunt Geeg?" The little girl nodded. Mrs. Bennet put her down and the little girl ran over to Mr. Darcy.

"Hi Daddy!" He picked her up and put her on his lap.

"Hello, baby-girl." His gaze shifted from the little girl to her. She was certain her jaw was touching the floor and she had no idea what was going on. "See? I told you that inter-company relations are fine."

"Wait. So" She put the pieces together in her head. "Mrs. Bennet?" She still didn't fully understand. Mrs. Bennet went into her desk and pulled out a set of CDs.

"Watch these DVDs. You'll understand then." Melanie took them, thanked them both and returned to her office. She sat in front of her computer and put the first DVD into her computer. Mrs. Bennet appears on the screen.

"If you are watching these, then you have found almost all the pieces to the puzzle. Enjoy The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. Enjoy my story." A menu popped up and she clicked 'play from beginning. A younger Mrs. Bennet returned to the screen, holding a red shirt.

The next day, Melanie knocked on Mrs. Bennet's door frame. She looked up and motioned for her to sit down. She handed her the DVDs and began the apology of a lifetime.

"Don't worry about it. You aren't the first grad student, and you won't be the last."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that every year, for the past five years, Pememberly has a new grad student. Every year they ask for an interview. And every year, Mr. Darcy and I arrange for them to figure out about us. We lay the pieces out and not one has figured it out before the videos. Don't apologize for it. Just learn."

"Thank you Mrs. Bennet." Melanie turned and Returned to her office and looked at her computer screen. She turned on her webcam and thought for a moment.

"My name is Melanie Grant, and I just learned a valuable lesson."


End file.
